Surface to Air

Surface to Air took a trip to the moon this season. Not literally, of course, but womenswear designer Dorothee Loerman had stumbled on a book of photos documenting the Apollo 11 mission, and she translated that inspiration into clothes that conjured, in various ways, astronaut apparel, outer space, and the texture of the moon itself. The most intriguing iteration of the theme was a black-and-white devoré in a cosmic pattern, which looked particularly cool in a pair of easygoing track pants. Elsewhere, there were crater-patterned jacquard knits, denim in a subtle pockmark print, chambray shirting scattered with stars, and a slouchy tuxedo suit in the silvery color of moonlight. Surface to Air will do well at retail with all these pieces. But the collection's real focus, and its strength, was outerwear. Highlights ranged from a natty trench with quilted shoulders, a shearling-lined parka in color-blocked khaki tones, and a bomber-shaped wool jacket with contrasting gray and cobalt-blue lapels. All told, this was a typically savvy outing from Surface to Air, a brand that has both a solid sense of the kinds of clothes streetwise girls want in their wardrobe and the wit to give those pieces some idiosyncratic spin.